


The darkest part of the forest

by everwitch



Series: In Every Universe [5]
Category: Red White & Royal Blue - Casey McQuiston
Genre: Alex makes tea, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Magic, An attack, Blood, Fae & Fairies, Fluff, Happy Ending, Healing Magic, Henry is very perceptive, Horseback Riding, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Oracles, Romance, Strangers meeting in a fantasy world, Swords & Sorcery, an abundance of dialogue, an injury, crossbows
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-07
Updated: 2021-03-07
Packaged: 2021-03-13 20:00:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,929
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29906310
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/everwitch/pseuds/everwitch
Summary: The stranger offers Alex a mild, non-threatening smile. He has a tight hold on the reins of his horse, so clearly he’s feeling rather apprehensive. Good. Still, he looks decent enough, even if he’s decidedly out of place in his thick, red cloak and fur-lined coat. He’s dressed for colder weather. Has he come from the north? No wonder, then, that he’s so heavily armed—the Oracles have recently taken up residence in the north, or so the rumours say.Maybe Alex should actually consider putting down his bow at some point.
Relationships: Alex Claremont-Diaz/Henry Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor
Series: In Every Universe [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2071992
Comments: 9
Kudos: 35





	The darkest part of the forest

**Author's Note:**

> thank you kindly to [floatingaway4](https://archiveofourown.org/users/floatingaway4/pseuds/floatingaway4) for cheerleading and beta reading! ♡♡♡

“We don’t get many travellers around these parts,” Alex states carefully. “Not many at all. Rarely any.”

The stranger offers Alex a mild, non-threatening smile. He has a tight hold on the reins of his horse, though, so clearly he’s feeling rather apprehensive. Good.

“I’m sure you’ve got reason to be careful,” the stranger says slowly. His voice is annoyingly polite. “But I can assure you that I mean no harm. I’m simply on a journey to seek guidance on behalf of a very good friend. If you have any more doubts about my intentions for passing through this area, then please let me address them.”

Well. This man doesn’t _sound_ like he’s about to draw his sword if Alex so much as looks the other way. In fact, he sounds… perfectly sincere. And he does look decent enough, even if he’s decidedly out of place in his thick, red cloak and fur-lined coat. Clearly, he’s dressed for colder weather... Has he come from the north? No wonder, then, that he’s so heavily armed—the Oracles have recently taken up residence in the north, or so the rumours say.

Maybe Alex should actually consider putting down his bow at some point.

“I do have reason to be cautious,” Alex says frankly. He lowers his bow only a fraction, so that his arrow no longer points directly at the man’s heart. It’s a start. “We’ve had some trouble, recently. Not every traveller around here is merely seeking guidance.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.”

The man makes a sudden movement with his hand, and Alex’s grip on his weapon immediately tightens. They lock eyes as the man brushes the mane of his horse in a calming manner. Right. Alex forces himself to take a deep breath.

“I can tell that you’re skilled with that bow,” the man points out carefully. “And my sword will do me no good unless I can get you off your horse. I think we both know I’m not in any position to threaten you.”

“I think you’re right,” Alex admits after a moment.

It’s not entirely reassuring, but it is something. Slowly, Alex does lower his bow. Strangely enough, that doesn’t seem to make the man any less apprehensive. Not even a little. His eyes are still intent on Alex, almost as if there’s something he’s trying to puzzle together, or perhaps recall. Interesting.

“Will you tell me your name, and explain more about the purpose of your journey?” Alex asks after a moment. Because, fine, he’s a _little_ bit curious. There is so rarely anyone new to make an acquaintance with, to offer directions or stories in exchange for news. The darkest part of the forest is very, very far from the main roads. But then again, that’s exactly why Alex has chosen to camp out here for so long. That, as well as the quite excellent company of the Fairies. “Perhaps I could point you in the right direction.”

“Henry Wales,” the man offers. And then he does something entirely unexpected—he carefully unbuckles the sheath from his belt and lets his sword fall to the ground. What? “There. I can’t possibly threaten you now. Will you shake hands with me?”

Alex regards him for a second. He’s… confused. This man, Henry, is certainly putting a lot of faith in Alex’s good will. He’s just made himself completely vulnerable. Alex could easily kill him, and Henry _must_ know this. And for what? A mere gesture?

“Shake hands with me,” Henry repeats earnestly, his piercing gaze still fixed on Alex. It’s… strangely intense. Alex feels a shiver run down his spine. “I truly mean no harm. I only seek guidance.”

“You seem determined to gain my trust.”

“Perhaps.” Henry's expression doesn’t shift. “I’ve been told I’m quite stubborn.”

“We have that in common,” Alex admits. “Fine. I don’t see why not.” He gently urges his horse forward until they’re side by side, and holds out his hand. “I’m Alex Claremont-Diaz.”

“Alex. It’s very good to meet you.”

Henry’s handshake is firm and quite steady, but a thick metal band around his finger makes Alex glance down curiously. Immediately, he freezes. It’s a ring. The man is wearing a signet ring. The metal crest makes Alex yank his hand back in shock.

“You’re one of them,” he exclaims sharply, anger already welling up inside of him. “You’re an Oracle. You’re one of them!”

And that’s when several things happen all at once.

There’s a sound to the left of the clearing, and Alex hears the arrow before he sees it coming. But somehow, Henry must realize it first. He abruptly reaches out, shoving Alex off his horse, and the arrow hits just as Alex lands on the ground. Alex’s eyes widen as he sees Henry slump forward, the blood already spilling out from the wound in his stomach, the arrow buried deep. How did he act so quickly? Had he known it was coming? And had he known they were going to aim for Alex?

Alex quickly rolls over on his back, raising his bow and rapidly firing off an arrow of his own. His aim is flawless.

***

The thing about being an Oracle is, you always have some idea of what’s going to happen next.

Henry does best with short-term. Anything beyond fifteen minutes tends to blur together hopelessly. Once or twice, he’s managed a fairly accurate prediction of something a few hours away, but Henry doesn’t even really look out for those premonitions anymore. He usually keeps his focus on the next few moments. That’s when he excels.

When Henry came of age and had his Vision, the most important prediction of his life, he was completely shocked to find that it was a premonition of something that was going to happen many years in the future. But that’s not important right now.

Henry slowly comes back to consciousness. He’s exhausted. There’s a dull pain in his stomach and an ache in all of his limbs. He feels like he’s run a long distance and pushed himself too hard, but he hasn’t run anywhere. He’s lying on the ground. There’s a warmth somewhere next to him, and a soft, crackling sound—fire. He’s by a fire.

Henry keeps his eyes closed and lets his mind wander freely. He’ll open his eyes, soon. He’ll take in his surroundings when he does. He’ll see the fire, and the pot of water simmering above it, and two horses side by side tied to a nearby tree. And across from him, watching him intently… Ah.

Henry opens his eyes and meets Alex’s gaze steadily. He doesn’t flinch when Alex fixes him with an angry scowl. He knew it was coming.

“You’re a complete idiot,” Alex tells him sharply. “What the hell were you thinking?”

Henry doesn’t answer immediately. He looks down at his stomach and carefully touches the point where the arrow went through. And then his mind draws a blank. He’s… fine. There’s an ache where he was wounded, yes, but when Henry pulls up his shirt he finds that his skin is perfectly clear. There’s no trace of his injury.

“I don’t understand,” Henry says shakily.

“Bet you wish you could see into the past, now,” Alex snaps. He sounds… a little smug. Henry looks up, watches Alex scoop up a mug of water from the pot with precise, practiced motions. “I healed you. You might still feel some residual pain, but that should pass soon.”

Henry gapes at him. Healing magic? But that can’t be, it’s so rare, so many would _kill_ to have… Oh. So many would kill for that—actually kill. Suddenly, Alex’s earlier cautiousness makes perfect sense, as does the ambush. There’s people after him. Maybe there always have been.

“This should make us even,” Alex adds. He fills another mug of water and glances in Henry’s direction. “You saved my life, now I’ve saved yours.”

“Ah,” Henry says. He contemplates for a second. “I’m… I’m not sure if that’s exactly right.”

Not all magical beings care as deeply for debts and settlements as Oracles. Henry has witnessed many as he grew up, and he’s more than familiar with the mechanics. And, unfortunately, it’s not always as simple as it may look on the surface. Alex has saved Henry’s life, yes, but he hasn’t made a sacrifice the same way that Henry did. That complicates the matter: there’s two debts, now. One debt of life, the other of death. Alex’s actions have only bound them more closely together.

“I think you’ll find that I’m right.” Alex’s voice is shaking with anger, even as he carefully stirs herbs into both cups of water. “Because I’m not going to owe a life debt to an Oracle. I’m _not.”_

Henry regards him for a moment. He’s surprised to find that Alex has such a strong feeling on the subject.

“I’m not going to call it in, either way,” Henry tells him carefully. “And you’re certainly not bound to it. You’re not an Oracle. We don’t expect others to honour our ways.”

Alex watches him for a moment. “I’ve heard stories that say you do,” he says doubtfully. “Many, many stories. They can’t all be wrong.”

“Legend and myth often exaggerates,” Henry points out. “I’ve heard much said of Healers, too, tales of magic that seems beyond magic itself and the ability to sway both hearts and minds. I’m sure much of that is simply fiction.”

Surprisingly, Alex’s mouth curls into another smug smile. Henry knows exactly what he’ll answer before he speaks. “Well. I wouldn’t be too certain, if I were you.”

It’s meant to intimidate, but Henry finds himself completely unafraid. Instead, he watches Alex with fascination. “Is that so?”

Alex doesn’t answer this time. He busies himself with the mugs instead. “Do you feel okay to sit up? It’ll be easier to drink if you do.”

“I think so, yes.” Henry carefully pushes himself up. He feels stiff, but there’s no pain in his stomach when he moves. He gratefully accepts the mug from Alex’s hands. “Thank you.”

Alex just nods. He takes a sip from his own mug, then watches Henry do the same. “You’re very trusting,” he says, almost a little curiously. “I could have poisoned you, just now.”

Henry can’t help but smile. “I think we’ve established that neither of us desperately wants the other dead. Don’t you?”

Alex looks down at the fire for a moment. His voice sounds a little different when he speaks. “You saved my life.”

“Yes,” Henry agrees. He’s a little confused—they’ve been over this. “I did.”

“You put yourself in harm’s way for me,” Alex continues. He looks up, and seems to search for something in Henry’s expression. “Did you know that I would heal you? Had you… seen it? Seen that it would happen?”

“No,” Henry admits softly. “I didn’t know.”

“But you knew that the attack was coming,” Alex says decisively. “You pushed me away before anyone could reasonably have realized the danger. You _knew_ it was coming.”

“I only knew moments before,” Henry says honestly. He glances down at his mug. “There was no time to explain.”

“You put yourself in harm’s way,” Alex repeats stiffly. “For me.”

Ah. It’s not a question, exactly, but Henry already knows what Alex is about to ask. It doesn’t take the power of an Oracle to realize that. And, well. That’s not a matter that Henry is very keen to explain. At least not yet.

“You’re familiar with Fairies,” Henry states, jumping ahead in the conversation. It’s not something that Alex will bring up until a few minutes from now, but it’s a much, much safer topic. “Aren’t you?”

“... Yes.” Alex frowns. “How would you know that?”

Henry takes another sip of water. “I have a friend who seeks their help. That’s why I’m travelling. It’s why our paths have crossed.”

“A friend, you say,” Alex repeats. His voice is all doubt. “As if a Fairy would ever aid an Oracle.”

“My friend,” Henry says slowly, “is a Fairy.”

That makes Alex grin. “Yeah, right. Listen, I _know_ Fairies. I know their ways. And they sure don’t like to get caught up with your kind.”

“I know there’s been… Hostility between our people, historically.” Henry pauses for a moment. He lets his mind slip ahead a few seconds, watches Alex’s possible reactions change as he considers different ways to best explain his situation. He almost chooses the precise wording that will make Alex smile warmly, just for the pleasure of it, but changes his mind at the very last second.

“Things are really beginning to change. It started when we discovered that we had a Fairy living among us—my friend. He goes by Pez. By the time we learned the truth about him, there were so many who owed him some form of debt that it would’ve been impossible to send him away. And now he’s about to come of age. Or at least, we _think_ he is—he’s at the age when we believe it happens for Fairies. And his powers are getting much stronger, but he doesn’t know very much about how to manage them. Mostly, he contains them, but that is a hard, painful thing to do for so long, and he desperately needs help. We need help.”

Alex nods slowly, just like Henry knew he would. His expression seems both surprised and intrigued. “So you’re… looking for Fairies? That’s why you’re so far south.”

“That’s right.” Henry indulges in another brief slip ahead in their conversation. “But you… are very hesitant to help me.”

“You’re an Oracle,” Alex says decisively, as if that should explain the whole situation. And, in some ways, it does. At least if Alex truly has close connections with Fairies. “They won’t help your kind.”

“I’m not seeking their help for myself,” Henry reminds him patiently. “What if I could prove it? What if I could prove that my friend is what I say he is?”

“How would you do that?

Henry reaches a hand into his pocket and carefully retrieves his most important keepsake. He watches indulgently as Alex’s expression transforms at the sight of the small, blue crystal. Alex truly is beautiful, but he is perhaps especially breathtaking with such a look of wonder in his eyes.

“You said that your friend can’t manage his powers,” Alex says breathlessly. “But this… a spell like this takes focus and practice. You said that your friend has no guidance? Then, how—”

“We believe that he’s very powerful,” Henry admits. “And he… He’s had more difficulty with control as he’s gotten older. It’s why I’ve come on his behalf. He is very unwell. He needs help, and fast.”

Alex nods slowly. He looks up from the crystal to face Henry again. “I can’t promise that the Fairies will help you, but I can take you to them. It’s barely a day’s journey from here. I have a close relationship with one of them—she goes by Nora. I think it’s best if I take you to her, first. She can bring the matter to their elders.”

“A day’s journey,” Henry repeats curiously. Suddenly, his mind slips ahead again, showing him a future that is equal parts familiar and startling. _Oh._ “Is it… do we ride along a river?”

“Yes.” Alex frowns slightly. “How did you know?”

Henry doesn’t answer him. He feels… far away. It has been a long time since he’s felt so intimately connected to the Vision he had years ago, to his life’s most important premonition. There’s a river, and a journey, and a man travelling with him. The man is smiling at something Henry has just said—smiling at him fully, for the very first time—and Henry doesn’t know where they are, or where they’re headed, but he knows that is the moment when they both start to fall in love. He has known ever since the Vision first came to him. He had just never imagined that it could be so soon.

Henry had recognized Alex as soon as he saw him ride into that clearing. Of course he had. And one does not encounter the love of their life after years of aching longing, only to watch him die from an arrow to his heart.

“Henry?” Alex asks. He sounds almost concerned. “Henry. Are you even listening?”

“I am,” Henry quickly lies, his voice trembling as the present crashes back into focus. “Of course I am. We were about to set off?”

Alex regards him curiously for a moment. Then he nods. “We were. I can’t say that I trust you just yet, but you seem decent enough. I suppose I’ll have to bear with you for the time being.”

Henry can’t help his weak, hopeful smile. “I think, over time, that I might come to earn your trust.”

“We’ll see,” Alex says shortly. He stands up. “You ready to go, then?”

“Yes. As ready as I’ll ever be.” Henry gets to his feet, too. There’s no pain in his stomach, not anymore. Instead, Henry’s heart flutters nervously, his mind a hazy mixture of _now_ and _soon_ and, for the first time in his life, _forever._ He feels drunk on it.

“Let’s go, then,” he says eagerly. “I’m looking forward to… to seeing the river. I’ve heard very good things.”

Alex frowns. “It’s just a bit of water, really. Nothing out of the ordinary. Don’t get your hopes too high.”

Henry smiles indulgently. “Well. I suppose we’ll see.”

**Author's Note:**

> this was really fun to write! I've worked on cupcakes all weekend and took a little break with this after I'd finished a draft of the next chapter. I hope you enjoyed this little fantasy vignette!
> 
> I'm on [tumblr](https://everwitch-magiks.tumblr.com/), feel free to come and say hi!! ♡♡♡


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